GAPS Gummis!

Beginning of pregnancy I really wanted cinnamon gummi bears. I wish I knew why... but they sounded amazing. Not until later when I figured out how to make homemade Jello did I even venture to ask if I could make my own gummi candies.

Turns out you can!

Now - you could use fruit juice (probably concentrated) or various other things... but my DD is off most fruit, and cinnamon was my craving. So experiment! Be inspired! Get a mold and make your own GAPS gummi worms!!!

 For now, here is my recipe for gummi cinnamon sticks:

1/2 c water
1.5  Tbsps bernard jensens gelatin
a generous amount of cinnamon (about a half tsp)
big drizzle honey (or small one, if you like less sweet)

Whisk thoroughly, heat till steaming (will heat very quickly!) and make sure everything is well mixed and dissolved.
Pour into dish and toss in freezer or fridge till sufficiently solidified. (An hour or so in the freezer, for this small amount)
Then cut into strips!!!!

Of course, if you have a mold, you can make these really pretty. Cooling it quickly seems to help the cinnamon from sinking to the bottom. 

She doesn't care what shape they are - they taste yummy!

Now, as to how to clean the pot..... I may whisk my ingredients in my mold in the future. The pot took a lot of soaking!

Variations on a theme: Roasted Cauliflower

I love love love roasted cauliflower. Unfortunately for me, it is my DD's favorite food, and she prefers it steamed. She has the narrower diet, so most of it goes to her. I must try this recipe though!

Mmmmm!

You can view the recipe here - garlic and herbs and browned goodness...

Jello Tea

Sometimes the longing for fruit becomes very difficult. Or even Jello. With all its sugar fake flavor goodness. It's delightful jigglyness and mouth feel..

Wait... you mean I can’t have jello anymore because I’m trying to avoid sugar or can’t have fruit?

Noooooo!

As I was doing ok with fruit flavored teas, which nicely help to tone the flavor of my more bitter ones (nettle and dandelion anyone?) I suddenly was struck with the question: Can I make tea into jello? Well, yes, you can! So in desperation for something fruit like... I bought some cheap gelatin and mixed it with one of my favorite fruit teas... and it was wonderful.

Amidst my searching for an answer to this question, I discovered Bernard Jensen Gelatin. Hurray! Gelatin I can be really happy about. It is made from good animal gelatin and doesn't have weird additives or crazy processing methods. It seems I have to use slightly more than commercial gelatin to do the job, but I just keep that in mind if converting recipes. There is another excellent quality brand of gelatin out there, but I can't recall the name.

Just a note about this recipe - this makes very lightly sweetened jello. My daughter and I love it, but we've gotten used to non-sweet things. Sometimes I don't use sweetening at all. Just think of it as your favorite tea now cold and jiggly.

In fact, I found out that there are many traditional recipes for non-sweet jellos! Meat flavored herby gelatin sounds a little strange to my over-sugared American ears still... but I really should try them sometime. Like this jellied chicken recipe...

Then again, maybe I'll stick to herbal teas and fruit....

For every 1 cup of liquid, it’s a 1/2 Tbsp gelatin. I like to go a little over that (think heaping Tbsps) to make it extra firm.

2 cups filtered water
tea of your choice
small drizzle honey (about 2 tsps maybe) If desired.
2 heaping TBSP gelatin
a good whisk

Brew your tea as usual, and compost the tea bag or herbs. If the tea is still very hot, just pour into the dish you'll make your jello in, along with the gelatin and honey and whisk thoroughly. If you are doing an infusion or decoction and the tea is too cool for the gelatin to dissolve, then gently re-heat it first.

Once everything is whisked thoroughly, and the gelatin is completely dissolved, you're done! Throw it in the freezer for an hour or two for quick setting, followed by some time in the fridge,  or in the fridge for several hours for a slower set.

Just be sure you don't put a super hot glass in the fridge or freezer! This is one area where I've compromised and used a plastic bowl - I just don't have a stainless steel one that would work well.

And voila... you have Jello!!!!!

Oh, and another note:  if you dip repeatedly into the dish in the fridge, the saliva will begin to break the jello down (oops.) You can just use that as an excuse to eat it faster.

Zucchini Chips

Summer is coming to a close - but many of my dear friends with gardens have zucchini and summer squash coming out their ears. Here was one of my favorite ways to eat it (and preserve it!)

 

 Zucchini chips! 

It is truly amazing how many cukes you have to use to fill a small jar of these. 

So - here is how.

Wash and slice summer squash as thinly as you can. I did about a 1/4" thick. A mandolin could come in handy for this, if you fancy those.

Then arrange on your dehydrator sheet - or a parchment paper line pan if you dry them in the oven.

 

Sprinkle with a little salt. Set the dehydrator for 120º or  the lowest temp for your oven. These dry fairly quickly, depending on how thin they are sliced and the air flow. You may need to flip them if drying in the oven. Then wait 6-8 hours or overnight. These don't really become "overdone" unless the oven is too hot.

Once dry and crispy, carefully remove from sheet and store. They are very brittle - and very addictive!

And for reference, this is a pint size jar. It contains 3 large summer squashes. They really shrink a lot!

Keeping costs down and nutrients high?

Cutting the cheap fillers (starches!) when going on GAPS can send your budget soaring. While upping the fat and cutting the nuts and pricey veggies are my biggest tips - Nourished and Nurtured has put together a great post with more ideas!

GAPS intro looking too overwhelming?

Check out a GAPS Intro Book! Cara gives you a fantastic guide to help you make your way through the challenges of intro and takes care of the planning for you.

You may have looked at the list of "do not's" and thought "What can I eat now?" .... And she answers that question with lots of delightful recipes. An e-book you can click and print, check it out!

Pink lentils & Salmon

This meal satisfies all the requirements for a good recipe these days. Fairly quick to prepare, nutrient dense, tastes good warm and cold, and nutrient dense. I've packed it up for several lunches this week, as the texture/flavor is similar to potato salad. Just call it salmon lentil salad, and everyone will tell you how amazing you are. If you serve it warm, call it casserole. No one will notice.

    2 heaping cups lentils
    3 cups dense flavorful broth (chicken or fish)
    1/4 cup lard
    1 lb salmon
    cheese - such as parmesan, dill garlic cheddar, romano, etc.
    1/3 c yogurt
    1 large or 2 small onions

    1/2 tsp salt
    pinch cayenne
    1/2 tsp mustard
   generous amount of dill
    1/2 tsp curry powder
    generous paprika

Soak lentils overnight in filtered water. The water should be double the height of the lentils, as they will triple in volume. Put salmon in the fridge to thaw overnight, if frozen. If you really plan ahead, you can sprout the lentils for a day or so. If you're running last minute, you can do a quick soak with the lentils, and thaw the fish in a bowl of warm water.

Next day, cook lentils in the chicken broth on high-simmer for about a half hour, stirring often. Once they have changed color, they are done. Add lard and salt, and turn off.

While lentils are cooking, mix yogurt with other spices and place salmon on a greased pan. I baked the salmon in the oven, but you could also cook it even faster in a skillet. Cover the salmon with the spiced yogurt, and cook gently. In the oven, 350º for about a half hour, on the stove, medium - low heat for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Either way, check the salmon regularly, fish should break apart with a fork, but should not be overcooked. It will continue to cook a little more after heat is turned off.

Cook onions in a separate pan, with plenty of grease, until cooked through and lightly browned. Add to lentils. If conserving dishes, cook them before the fish, and you can use the same pan to cook the fish in.

Break apart salmon and add yogurt salmon mixture to lentils, along with cheese. Add additional salt and seasonings to taste.

Quick, delicious, and loaded with nutrients!